Sonar issues

[Mike k]

Hello all

I have the Navman Fishfinder 6600 Fishfinder/Plotter and yesterday during a trip out fishing I experienced some intermittent periods of no depths or sonor traces at all and then some totally unrealistic depth readings underway mixed with accurate stuff too, Seemed worst when travelling but it also did it at anchor with no engine running so I am at a complete loss. Does it sound like I need to replace the transducer ( do they wear out?) or the whole display unit ( which works great as the plotter and has been fairly decent as a depth gauge over the past 5 years) or could it be simpler than that??

Would welcome panels opinions

Thanks in advance

Mike

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

What sort of transducer is it? If it's an in-hull transducer, have you lost of some of the fluid between the transducer and the hull?

 

[Mike k]

What sort of transducer is it? If it's an in-hull transducer, have you lost of some of the fluid between the transducer and the hull?

Hi Jimmy

its the through hull insertable variety- plastimo I think,........ but was fitted as a pack with the Navman system. Does this have the fluid you mention?

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

Hi Jimmy

its the through hull insertable variety- plastimo I think,........ but was fitted as a pack with the Navman system. Does this have the fluid you mention?

Nope. The fluid is there with the in-hull to provide a consistent medium for the transponder to ping through; with a through-hull the transducer is pinging directly into the water.

It does sound like your head unit is suffering from an intermittent signal loss though, so I guess the next thing I'd be checking are the connections between the head unit and the transducer. After that - try a replacement transducer, I guess.

 

[Mike k]

thanks Jimmy

 

[maverickofpoole]

Do you have a lot of growth on the hull? if so this may be degrading your signal if not as Jimmy says

 

[NoviceRod]

I was having similar problems with mine before liftout. Found barnacles and slime on the face of the transducer, so have cleaned and painted with Echosounder Antifoul. This seems to have fixed the problem so far.